Disentangling consciencism : essays on Kwame Nkrumah's philosophy / edited by Martin Odei Ajei ; with a foreword by Kwame Gyekye.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gyekye, Kwame, author of introduction, etc.

Contributor:

Ajei, Martin Odei, editor.

Series:

African philosophy, critical perspectives and global dialogue.

African philosophy, critical perspectives and global dialogue

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nkrumah, Kwame, 1909-1972--Political and social views.

Nkrumah, Kwame.

Nkrumah, Kwame, 1909-1972.

National liberation movements.

Philosophy.

Political and social views.

Ghana--Politics and government--1957-1979.

Ghana.

Politics and government.

Pan-Africanism.

National liberation movements--Africa--Philosophy.

Africa.

Physical Description:

xv, 358 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Lexington Books, [2017]

Summary:

Kwame Nkrumah is globally recognized as a foremost pan-Africanist strategist and statesman. He is less widely acknowledged as a philosopher in spite of his considerable philosophical training, critical contribution to African political theory, and incisive critique of the ethics of international relations. Consciencism has the distinctive status of being the only published book that Nkrumah consciously meant to be a work of his philosophy, yet it has failed to attract the focused attention of philosophers. The chapters in Disentangling Consciencism: Essays on Kwame Nkrumah's Philosophy critically explore the ethical and political thoughts expressed in that seminal philosophical work, and in so doing they broaden our understanding of his philosophical ideas and their relevance for effective African contribution to contemporary thought in a world in which Africa increasingly totters on the margins of intellectual influence in international affairs and human experience. In much current global moral and political thinking, there is a tendency of conflating liberal with universal morality and a related marginalization of non-Western moral and philosophical perspectives. At the same time, the contexts of application of global normative thinking are overwhelmingly non-Western contexts. Writing from across three continents, the contributors to this volume establish greater intellectual contact between Western and African academics, and their chapters foster a sustained exchange of views and perspectives on the place of Nkrumah's philosophy in African philosophy and its relevance as a guide to philosophical and public policy practice in Africa. A valuable appendix provides the text of speeches delivered at the 1964 launch of Conciencism. With its contributions to metaphysical, political, and ethical themes in Conciencism, and insights into Nkrumah s concept of a new African renaissance, this volume will be of particular interest to students and scholars of philosophy especially of non-Western moral and political thought and to anyone working in the history and philosophy of African political thought."

Contents:

Part I The Notion of Philosophy in Nkrumah's Consciencism 13

1 Conscience in Nkrumah's Consciencism / Kofi Ackah Ackah, Kofi 15

2 The Idea of Philosophy in Nkrumah's Consciencism / Paulin J. Hountondji Hountondji, Paulin J. 45

3 Consciencism: Reading Towa, Reading Nkrumah / Tsenay Serequeberhan Serequeberhan, Tsenay 63

4 "Consciencisme": Translated / Tsenay Serequeberhan Serequeberhan, Tsenay 67

5 Nkrumah's Philosophy in Action: Between Ideology and Ethnophilosophy / Katrin Flikschuh Flikschuh, Katrin 93

Part II Logic, Metaphysics, and Epistemology 113

6 Categorial Conversion in Nkrumah's Consciencism / Stephen C. Ferguson II Ferguson, Stephen C. II 115

7 "When Everything Starts to Flow": Nkrumah and Irigaray in Search of Emancipatory Ontologies / Louise du Toit Toit, Louise du 137

8 Notes on Consciencism: The Epistemological Break and the Notion of Nkrumaism / John H. McClendon III McClendon, John H. III 157

9 The Logic of Consciencism / Richmond Kwesi Kwesi, Richmond 185

Part III Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy 199

10 The Ethics of Liberation in Nkrumah's Consciencism / M. B. Ramose Ramose, M. B. 201

11 Exploring the Ethical Foundations of Nkrumah's Consciencism / Thaddeus Metz Metz, Thaddeus 213

12 Justice and the Retrieval of the African Self: The Perspective of Consciencism / Martin Odei Ajei Ajei, Martin Odei 229

13 Africa's Resources and Might Makes Right / Leif Wenar Wenar, Leif 247

14 Consciencism as an expression of Ubuntu / Ezekiel S. N. Mkhwanazi Mkhwanazi, Ezekiel S. N. 261

15 Phases of Nkrumah's Socialism: Consciencism and Beyond / Raymond N. Osei Osei, Raymond N. 279

16 Can a Nation Be a Community? / Barry Hallen Hallen, Barry 291

17 Rooted Cosmopolitanism: Jawaharlal Nehru and Kwame Nkrumah / Neera Chandhoke Chandhoke, Neera 303.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Disentangling consciencism

ISBN:

9781498511513

1498511511

OCLC:

957133863